


You weren’t there

by cozy_downpour



Category: woso
Genre: Angst, F/F, Sad, chtisten’s dogs, idk if i like this, tobin’s dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22756630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cozy_downpour/pseuds/cozy_downpour
Summary: Tobin Heath might be the most selfless person alive, but her family wants her to be selfish just once. A look into a phone call.
Relationships: Christen Press/Tobin Heath, Preath - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 172





	You weren’t there

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly idk what this is, the dialogue just came to me so i wrote it. Kind of inspired by the E:60 where T says her family doesn’t always get she can’t be home. Added a twist. Sorry all i know how to write is angst. MKB update soon.

When she got the call it was decided almost immediately in her head. Spring training camp for the U-16s. Soccer was life, it always was the right choice. She haphazardly packed her bags, got a kiss from her mom on the cheek at the airport, and a gruff “see you soon” from her dad. 

She was soaring. Picked her seat on the bus from the airport to the hotel, sitting beside a freckle faced girl who had just as much excitement as her.  _ Kelley _ . 

She also missed the 4th of July, Father’s Day, Perry’s birthday, and her mother’s birthday. 

It was then that Tobin Heath started her yearly tradition of missing traditions. Camp life is hard, and you only get two weeks off between camp and school starting again. When you’re not drowning in the extra work pre-assigned to make up for the later semester absences from traveling for youth national team this or that—you’re working on your touches every night. You nutmeg the dog, mom while she cooks dinner, and your dad when he finally comes through that front door. 

Now it’s been over a decade on the national team and Tobin’s life is simply a revolving door and if you don’t get stuck in it, you’re being tossed in and out. And it’s hard, it’s frustrating. It’s one of those nights where everything feels impossible. 

“Hey kiddo, how’re you holding up out there?” Jeff asks his daughter as she passes a ball back and forth between her feet with her cellphone perched between her ear and shoulder. 

“Same old same old dad! Channing came down to visit so that’s great,” Tobin says cheerily as one of Christen’s dogs comes up to her and tries to take her soccer ball. “ _ Morena, no!” _

“Well I’d hope she would come for thanksgiving,” Jeff comments while Tobin eventually scoops the ball under her arm and sets it away on a shelf. The last thing she needed was the dog to puncture her girlfriend’s ball. 

“Dad, we’ve been through this. It made sense because of the training camp—”

“ _ Tobin _ . You’ve been saying that since you were 20 and spent the summer at an apartment in LA without so much as inviting us! Do you even remember you have a family out here?” 

Tobin’s eyes water at the tone of her father’s voice. Growing up she had never heard him be loud or aggressive, and it hurt he was trying to bring up the past. Maybe her vagabond homeless days of couch surfing and poor communication of changed addresses were not her best years. But Tobin  _ had _ settled down. Only difference was she settled where Jeff felt she was still running away. 

“Dad, please I try so hard to—”

“Try to what? It’s your nephew's birthday next week. Tucker? Yeah remember him Tobin, he’s turning 2 it might be nice for you to be there since you weren’t at the birth.” Jeff snapped. 

Tobin paled at the anger in her father’s voice, her stomach knotting. “Perry knew I had a game! It’s not my fault he was born before I was subbed out of the game.” She replied indignantly. Suddenly Tobin felt like she was 16 all over again, convincing her parents that skipping prom for a charity soccer tournament was worth it. The charity portion won them over, even if Cindy lamented that she wouldn’t have Tobin in a prom dress to add to her prom photo collection. Maybe it hadn’t clicked yet that her little tomboy wasn’t interested in being Michael the next door neighbor’s prom date. 

“I don’t know what we did to make you run away from us Tobin. I really don’t.” 

The tears leaked down Tobin’s red face now. She sat crumpled on the Press’s couch, Morena nosing at her hand as she felt the emotional shift in the room.

“Why can’t you be here for us? Your sisters miss you, I miss you. Your mother still sets a place at the table for you, like you’ve died. You keep saying you’re busy but when you're not you chose to stay away from us.” Jeff snapped, starting to pace. Tobin could hear the sounds of his work shoes against their tiled floor. “It’s thanksgiving Tobin. You better not give me some excuse about skipping Christmas, I mean it.” 

Tobin groaned audibly at the comments, biting her lower lip as she tries to steady herself enough to talk to her father. 

“Dad. I am staying in LA because Christen needs me. Her mom’s stroke and recovery is hard. It’s really hard. She can’t even talk! You want me to be there for you when you wouldn’t even show up for my birthday sometimes!” 

The father and daughter are silent after Tobin’s explosion. One of the reasons that she had chosen to do so many soccer clinics and overnight camps was because she didn’t have to sit at home and wait for her dad to come home, eat dinner, and immediately go to bed. Tobin loved her father, and she loved the time she did spend with him but she learned very early on that it was on his terms if he came home early from work to catch one of her games, or he showed up to a trophy ceremony. Most people thought her father was super involved just like her mother in her sports world. They were wrong. Her teammates never saw it, I mean didn’t everyone’s mom run snack the week it was theirs or their dad watched from the sidelines? But Tobin knew there was an absence. It cut even deeper because Jeff loves supporting his daughter, he loved her love of the game, it was everything. But he took on double hours and suddenly even a hug from him was a strain. 

Eventually the double hours turned into triple. He was never home. The divorce papers showed up one day while Tobin was juggling on the front porch. She read the paper and almost handed it back to the mail deliverer who handed it to her. 

Her parents weren’t in love. And she felt betrayed, especially by God. Why put two people together and build up a life to then tear it apart? 

Three months later, a semester into her freshman year of college, Tobin knew she had to say something about how she wanted the drunken spin the bottle kisses with girls to continue and how she wanted the curly haired girl in her philosophy class to be hers.

She came out. It was received as expected. Her father was less than pleased but worked his way into acceptance. And later he  _ loved _ Christen. It’s hard for Christen Press to not charm her way into anyone’s heart much less her girlfriend’s family’s. 

“You missed plenty of birthdays too Tobin. I’m asking you to put this family first. I think you can manage that.”

Tobin scoffed, tears falling down harder now. “You use soccer against me like I’m some sort of black sheep who never cared about you! This is my job, this is my life. And I’m so sorry that I took this chance to make the woman I love feel better for even just a spare second while she’s in pain. I’ll miss more birthdays and holidays and I’ll miss it all. I don’t care because others are worth it. Christen is worth it. Her family is worth it!”

Jeff is silent in response to Tobin’s outburst. He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry Tobes.” He offers before hanging up, leaving Tobin to her own echoing sobs in what she thinks is the Press’s empty living room. 

“I knew there was a reason Christen fell for your heart.”

Cody’s words surprise the crying woman, having her sit up to make sense of it all. Morena and Khaleesi both hop up on the couch, their heads in Tobin’s lap, paws on her leg. Cody walks over, kneeling since the dogs took over the couch. He holds Tobin’s hand. 

“You might be the most selfless woman I’ve ever met Tobin. Thank you for everything. I know you don’t want thanks, I can see your cheeks burning—but you’ve done a lot to make Mo happy.” Cody teases, wiping away Tobin’s tears with his other hand. The brunette can feel her cheeks grow warm, and she doesn’t know what to say. The dogs cuddle in closer, and Cody gets up.

“Thank you.” Tobin mumbles as she tries to find more words to say, but Cody just waves her off and goes to start cooking dinner. Slowly Tobin strokes Morena’s fur, grounding herself as she thinks about the fight with her father. 

Every year no matter if they were in NJ, Rhode Island, or Florida her father and mother would have a joint thanksgiving and Christmas. It was one thing they did to make their children feel like the holiday hasn’t changed. They’d attend the same church services, go out for the same brunches, and cook the same meals. The divorce had never been messy, and the children were never told why the divorce took place. Perry was steadfast in her conviction that her father had cheated on her mother with his secretary though. Katie didn’t believe her. Tobin? Was too busy making sure Jeff Jr understood everything first. 

Jeff and Cindy never wanted their family to feel broken, and they followed every plan they had for life together simply just divorced. Retiring to Florida, just in different houses. They were friendly and civil. Sat side by side at soccer games and Cindy still kept Heath on all her things. 

Eventually Tobin passes out on the Press’s couch, the dogs at her feet. Cody drapes a blanket over her and motions for Christen to be quiet when she returns from her mother’s rehab. 

“She needs a friend Mo.” He whispers as Christen notices the dried tears on Tobin’s sleeping face. Her brows still furrowed, her mouth slack and her lips chapped as always. Christen pushed back a strand of hair, pulling the blanket tighter around Tobin’s chest just the way she liked it. 

“I love you Tobes.” 


End file.
